Cannabis smoking
Cannabis smoking involves inhaling vapors released by heating the flowers and subtending leaves and stems of the Cannabis sativa and Indica plants, known as marijuana. Alternatively, the cannabis plant flowers may be finely (#30) sifted[1] releasing kief, a powder especially rich in the "oil-glands" or trichomes containing high amounts of THC and other cannabinoids, which is then traditionally pressed and baked into solid cakes known as hashish. Cannabis is consumed recreationally to produce a feeling of relaxation or euphoria, medically (such as to relieve stress or suppress nausea), or inspirationally[2] by inventors and artists in pursuit of creativity.
Smoking releases the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs. It then mostly targets the brain, where it binds to cannabinoid receptors. The immune system also contains cannabinoid receptors and may modulate its function.[3] The cannabinoid receptors receive the THC and other cannabinoids, leading to the feeling of a mental "high," which varies strongly by person. Studies have also found that the heating of cannabis (which can be achieved without the health hazards of combustion by means of a vaporizer) results in the production of additional THC from the decarboxylation of the non-psychoactive Δ9-tetrahydrocanabinoid acid (THCa)[4].
While cannabis can be consumed orally, the bioavailability characteristics and effects of this method are different from smoking. The effect takes longer to begin, is typically longer-lasting, and can sometimes result in a more powerful psychoactive effect.[5]
Cannabis can be smoked in a variety of pipe-like implements including one-hitters, chillums, bongs and "bowls", or by rolling it into a cigarette-like "joint" or cigar-like "blunt".[6]
Contents
Smoking implements
Pipes
Smoking pipes, sometimes called pieces or bowls, can be made of blown glass, metal fittings[7](except aluminum), ceramic, borosilicate, stone or wood. Blown-glass pipes and bongs are often intricately and colorfully designed, containing materials that change color or become more vivid with repeated use.
- A narrow top opening permits accurate control of heat entry during lighting, so that the herb mainly vaporizes rather than burns, maximizing THC reception while minimizing exposure to combustion toxins.
- Installing a snugly nested metal screen[8] protects against drawing small particles of herb down inside to clog the channel, thus permits using pre-sifted cannabis with a uniform particle size which most easily vaporizes out cannabinoids.
- Attaching a long flexible drawtube, such as those furnished on hookahs, provides for a clear view of the lighting operation to control entry temperature, and gives vapors additional space to travel, cooling, before inhalation.
Bong
A bong is a pipe with a small water-chamber [9] through which the cannabis smoke passes prior to inhalation. Users fill the bong with water in order to cool the smoke and filter out particulate matter, sometimes also adding ice or using substances such as brandy in place of water. Adding alcohol does not increase the effect but may enhance flavor. Ash Catchers, Diffusors, Percolators, and Carbon Filters are further new features being seen in modern glass bongs.[10]
Joint
A joint, sometimes called a "j", "doobie" "jifter" or "spliff", is created by rolling up cannabis, either manually or with a rolling machine, into paper, forming a cigarette-like product.
Blunt
A Blunt, sometimes known as a "stick", "bleezy", "fatty", is cannabis rolled with a cigar wrapper (tobacco leaf).[11] Blunts are usually rolled using low quality cigars or specially made blunt wraps. Typical cigar brands used for rolling blunts include Dutch Masters, Games, Phillies Blunts, Optimos, White Owls, Swisher Sweets, and Backwoods. Users split or cut open the cigar, dispose of the tobacco and roll up cannabis in the cigar paper or leaf.
Etymologically, the word has its origins in the Scottish language. A "lunt" has historically been defined as "a torch",[12] however it can more formally be defined as "a slow-burning match or torch" or "smoke with flames, especially from a pipe".[13]
Vaporization
Vaporizer
Since the delivery of THC occurs through heating rather than combustion, vaporizers have been developed to "smoke" (actually vaporize) small servings of sifted dry cannabis without igniting the herb, thus maximizing reception of active cannabinoids while minimizing harmful and irritating effects of real smoke.[14] A recent study shows that using a vaporizer results in reduced tar and carbon monoxide inhalation compared to smoking the same amount of cannabis.[15]
Spots
A vaporization method known variously as spots, spotting, dots, hot knives, "knifers", or blades consists of compressing a small amount of cannabis between two heated metal blades and inhaling the resulting vapors through a tube or chimney ("spottle").[16]
Mixing with other herbs
Often in Morocco, Europe and the Middle East, users facilitate lighting hashish by combining it with tobacco in a joint or spliff (also known as "Spinning", "Clip", "Batching", "Webacco", and "Amsterdam Style"), a practice which at least one study has suggested can lead to unintended nicotine dependence.[17] Beginners are not always aware that a cigar "wrapper" used to roll a "blunt" contains nicotine. Many non-addictive aromatic herbal alternatives[18] are available, including sifted hops flowers (low burning point) and peppermint leaf (source of menthol).
Health effects
Smoking lung cancer risk
A major 2006 study compared the effects of tobacco and Cannabis smoke on the lungs.[19][20] The outcome of the study showed that even very heavy cannabis smokers "do not appear to be at increased risk of developing lung cancer,"[20] while the same study showed a twenty-fold increase in lung cancer risk for tobacco smokers who smoked two or more packs of tobacco cigarettes a day.[19][20] It is known that Cannabis smoke, like all smoke, contains carcinogens and thus has a probability of triggering lung cancer, but THC, unlike nicotine, is thought to "encourage aging cells to die earlier and therefore be less likely to undergo cancerous transformation."[20] Cannabidiol (CBD), an isomer of THC and another major cannabinoid that also grows on cannabis, has been reported elsewhere to have anti-tumor properties as well. However, in other studies, some cellular abnormalities were documented, indicating that a possible increase in lung cancer risk in very heavy users cannot be completely ruled out.[21]
See also
Links
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<references />, or <references group="..." />- ↑ http://www.wikihow.com/Sift-Herbs-for-Smoking-Use
- ↑ L.E.A.P. = Long-term Episodic Associative Performance (Memory)
- ↑ http://lupus.webmd.com/news/20030415/cannabis-may-suppress-immune-system
- ↑ Verhoeckx KC, Korthout HA, van Meeteren-Kreikamp AP, Ehlert KA, Wang M, van der Greef J, Rodenburg RJ, Witkamp RF (2006-04-06). "Unheated Cannabis sativa extracts and its major compound THC-acid have potential immuno-modulating properties not mediated by CB1 and CB2 receptor coupled pathways". International immunopharmacology. International Immunopharmacology. 6 (4): 656–65. doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2005.10.002. PMID 16504929.
- ↑ http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_effects.shtml
- ↑ United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2006). "World Drug Report" (PDF). pp. 187–192. ISBN 92-1-148214-3. Retrieved 2007-11-22.
- ↑ http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Smoke-Pipes-out-of-Everyday-Objects
- ↑ http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-1/4%22-diam.-Screen-for-a-Single-Toke-Utensil
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html
- ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=amAJAAAAQAAJ&lpg=PA87&ots=O53YlMsoQ1&dq=lunt%20etymology&pg=PA86#v=onepage&q&f=false
- ↑ http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lunt
- ↑ [3]
- ↑ DI Abrams; et al. (2007). "Vaporization as a Smokeless Cannabis Delivery System: A Pilot Study" (pdf). Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 82.
- ↑ "Cannabis use in a drug and alcohol clinic population", McBride A. J. 1994
- ↑ Australian Government Department of Health: National Cannabis Strategy Consultation Paper, page 4. "Cannabis has been described as a 'Trojan Horse' for nicotine addiction, given the usual method of mixing cannabis with tobacco when preparing marijuana for administration."
- ↑ http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Smoking_Cessation#Herbal_alternatives
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Boyles, Salynn. “Pot Smoking Not Linked to Lung Cancer,” WebMED Health News. May 23, 2006. (Retrieved 2009-09-05.)
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 “Study Finds No Link Between Marijuana Use and Lung Cancer,” American Thoracic Society. May 2006. (Retrieved 2009-09-05.)
- ↑ Armentano, Paul. “Cannabis Smoke and Cancer: Assessing the Risk,” NORML: Working to reform marijuana laws. No publication date. (Retrieved 2009-09-05.)
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